June 13th, 2012 | by VoiceCouncil

Your Vocal Work Pie

Eat three pieces and be ready for any vocal challenge –says Daniel Borch

One of the best things you can do for your vocal and career progression is to see your vocal work as having three pieces.

I call these the three Ts

* Taking care of your voice
* Technique
* inTerpretation

This Isn’t Just Theory…

Singers who don’t think this way can actually end up losing opportunities to work.

I see this all the time in my work as a vocal coach in private practice and on popular programs like X-Factor and Pop Idol.

Here’s an example: let’s say a vocalist has worked a long time in the studio, writing and recording songs.

They will have worked through a well-defined interpretation of the song.

But then the song becomes a hit and the singer needs to get out on tour and reproduce those songs night after night.

It is here that a lack of technique and sometimes also the lack of knowledge of how to take care of the voice can lead to cancelled gigs.

Eat the Whole Pie

That’s why I want you to think of your vocal work as a pie with three pieces.

All voice training involves at least one of these “slices”. You can even turn the whole thing around: To be able to freely interpret you need good technique and to improve your technique you need to take care of your voice.
Train these different elements side by side.

You can’t train technique for an extended period without including interpretation and it would not serve you to just interpret songs and neglect your technique.

Furthermore, you can neither interpret nor train your technique if you fail to take care of your voice so that it is in the best possible shape both when you practice and perform.

So, as a singer, consider yourself as having three jobs – and then you’ll be ready for any challenge.

Hi David, it is challenging to offer comments when a recording bas been edited but, in general, I like your work. Specifically, I want to hear you be clearer and more on-pitch in the low sections – and less breathy there too. Maybe taking the song up a whole tone will help. Try some backing vocals on the chorus to make it bigger and more energetic. Actually, taking the song up a whole step will help to solve both the breathiness and the lack of power in the chorus.

Daniel Zangger Borch is one of Sweden’s most recognised vocal coaches. He has been a regular on adjudicating panels for popular TV shows such as ‘Idol’, ‘True Talent’ and ‘X-Factor’. He is also a professional singer, recording artist (with seven albums) and songwriter. Daniel holds a PhD in Music performance and is Head of the Voice Centre, Stockholm. His book “The Ultimate Vocal Voyage” has been released internationally. Hear more about Daniel’s career.
Daniel’s Ultimate Vocal Voyage on Amazon